Photovoltaic roofing elements, photovoltaic roofing systems, methods and kits

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the photovoltaic generation of electrical energy. The present invention relates more particularly to photovoltaic roofing products for use in photovoltaically generating electrical energy. One aspect of the invention is a photovoltaic roofing element comprising: a flexible roofing substrate; a photovoltaic element disposed on the flexible roofing substrate; and an electrical connector operatively coupled to the photovoltaic element, wherein the flexible roofing substrate has formed therein a recess shaped to at least partially receive the electrical connector.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A photovoltaic roofing element comprising:
 a flexible roofing substrate, the flexible roofing substrate comprising
 a base of flexible roofing material having a top surface and a bottom surface and an up-roof end and a down-roof end, the top surface having a headlap zone at the up-roof end of the base and an exposure zone at the down-roof end of the base, and 
 one or more layers of shim material disposed on the top surface of the base in the headlap zone but not in the exposure zone, or on the bottom surface of the base; 
 
 a photovoltaic element disposed on the top surface of the base in the exposure zone; and 
 an electrical connector operatively connected to the photovoltaic element and disposed on the top surface of the base, 
 wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a total thickness at least about as great as the thickness of the electrical connector, such that the one or more layers extend from the surface of the base on which they are disposed at least about as far as the electrical connector extends from the base, and 
 wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a stair-step configuration or a slanted profile, such that the one or more layers of shim material have a substantially greater thickness toward the down-roof end of the base than toward the up-roof end of the base. 
 
     
     
       2. A photovoltaic roofing element according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are disposed on the top surface of the base in the headlap zone but not in the exposure zone. 
     
     
       3. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material form a recess in a top surface of the flexible roofing substrate. 
     
     
       4. A photovoltaic roofing element according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are disposed on the bottom surface of the base. 
     
     
       5. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material form a recess in a bottom surface of the flexible roofing substrate. 
     
     
       6. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 1 , wherein the total thickness of the one or more layers of shim material is about equal to the thickness of the electrical connector. 
     
     
       7. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are a plurality of layers of shim material having a stair-step configuration. 
     
     
       8. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a slanted profile. 
     
     
       9. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are layers of asphalt shingle material. 
     
     
       10. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 1 , wherein the base of flexible roofing material is an asphalt shingle. 
     
     
       11. The photovoltaic roofing element of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are one or more layers of asphalt shingle material, and the base of flexible roofing material is one or more layers of asphalt shingle material. 
     
     
       12. A photovoltaic roofing system comprising an electrically-interconnected plurality of photovoltaic roofing elements according to  claim 1  disposed on a roof having a surface. 
     
     
       13. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 12 , wherein the photovoltaic roofing system comprises:
 a first photovoltaic roofing element, the first photovoltaic roofing element comprising
 a flexible roofing substrate, the flexible roofing substrate comprising
 a base of flexible roofing material having a top surface and an up-roof end and a down-roof end, the top surface having a headlap zone at the up-roof end of the base and an exposure zone at the down-roof end of the base, and 
 one or more layers of shim material disposed on the top surface of the base in the headlap zone but not in the exposure zone; 
 
 a photovoltaic element disposed on the top surface of the base in the exposure zone; and 
 an electrical connector operatively connected to the photovoltaic element and disposed on the top surface of the base, 
 wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a total thickness at least about as great as the thickness of the electrical connector of the first photovoltaic roofing element such that the one or more layers extend from the top surface of the base at least about as far as the electrical connector extends from the base, and 
 wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a stair-step configuration or a slanted profile, such that the one or more layers of shim material have a substantially greater thickness toward the down-roof end of the base than toward the up-roof end of the base; and 
 
 a second photovoltaic roofing element disposed so as to cover the electrical connector of the first photovoltaic roofing element and the one or more layers of shim material of the first photovoltaic roofing element, the second photovoltaic roofing element comprising:
 a flexible roofing substrate, 
 a photovoltaic element disposed on the flexible roofing substrate, and 
 an electrical connector operatively coupled to the photovoltaic element, 
 wherein the second flexible roofing element is gradually sloped with respect to the surface of the roof where it overlies the one or more layers of shim material of the first photovoltaic roofing element. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 12 , wherein the photovoltaic roofing system comprises:
 a first photovoltaic roofing element, the first photovoltaic roofing element comprising
 a flexible roofing substrate, 
 a photovoltaic element disposed on the flexible roofing substrate, and 
 an electrical connector operatively coupled to the photovoltaic element and disposed on the flexible roofing substrate; and 
 
 a second photovoltaic roofing element disposed adjacent the first photovoltaic roofing element, the second photovoltaic roofing element comprising:
 a flexible roofing substrate, the flexible roofing substrate comprising
 a base of flexible roofing material having a top surface and a bottom surface and an up-roof end and a down-roof end, the top surface having a headlap zone at the up-roof end of the base and an exposure zone at the down-roof end of the base, and 
 one or more layers of shim material disposed on the bottom surface of the base; 
 
 a photovoltaic element disposed on the top surface of the base; and 
 an electrical connector operatively connected to the photovoltaic element and disposed on the top surface of the base, 
 wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a total thickness at least about as great as the thickness of the electrical connector of the first photovoltaic roofing element, 
 wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a stair-step configuration or a slanted profile, such that the one or more layers of shim material have a substantially greater thickness toward the down-roof end of the base than toward the up-roof end of the base, and 
 wherein the second photovoltaic roofing element is gradually sloped with respect to the surface of the roof at the one or more layers of shim material. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 12 , wherein each flexible roofing substrate is a multilayer asphalt shingle. 
     
     
       16. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are a plurality of layers of shim material having a stair-step configuration. 
     
     
       17. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a slanted profile. 
     
     
       18. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material are a plurality of layers of shim material having a stair-step configuration. 
     
     
       19. The photovoltaic roofing system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more layers of shim material have a slanted profile.